


Locked In A Glass Cage of Emotion

by professorwillie



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Episode: s01 Animan, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-01
Updated: 2017-08-01
Packaged: 2018-12-09 22:41:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11678580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/professorwillie/pseuds/professorwillie
Summary: After Ladybug threw Nino and Alya into the panther cage, what happened?





	Locked In A Glass Cage of Emotion

Finger guns. Nino had just looked at her and pointed at her with finger guns. Alya put her head in her hand in frustration. How was this the guy who had just declared his love for her to Marinette? “Really, Nino? Ladybug just threw us in this glass cage together and you give me finger guns?” Alya was not happy. 

Nino looked down and adjusted his cap. “Sorry, this is a weird situation.” He went to the door of the cage and tried to open it. It didn’t budge. “I think we are locked in. I guess we will just have to wait until Ladybug puts everything back to normal.” He looked at Alya. She knew that look. He was embarrassed. And he should be.

“Ugh! Let me try!” She walked over to the door and tried it herself. It didn’t budge. She was angry and frustrated. She did not want to be locked in a glass cage with Nino. “Look,” she said with determination as she turned to glare at him. “I know you like me. I overheard you talking with Marinette. I don’t know…”

Nino cut her off, waving his hands in front of him. “Woah, woah! You heard that? How? I only said that because I like Marinette and I don’t know how to tell her! Adrien told me to tell her and I panicked!”

“Oh,” Alya replied quietly. She didn’t know what to say next. It would be a lie to say she was a little saddened by his confession. Then a realization came to her. “Wait, was Adrien helping you?” Her face was again determined. “So, he didn’t ask Marinette to come here?” 

“Why would he ask out Marinette? He was helping me ask her out.” Nino replied. 

“You guys came over to us, after school, and he asked Marinette to go to the zoo. You were there!” Alya didn’t understand the confusion. She had witnessed the whole conversation. Adrien had defiantly asked Marinette out.

“He did that for me because I was nervous and couldn’t talk to her. I tried all day to ask her out and I just couldn’t. He asked her out for me and then he tried to talk to me when we met up.” Nino looked down, his hands behind his back, one foot on the ground making small circles in the dirt in the cage. 

Alya crossed her arm in front of her. “What do you mean, ‘he tried to talk to you?’” she demanded. She knew she was being rough, she was like that when she got in reporter mode. She needed to know how Marinette had ended up on a date with Nino when she thought she was going to be meeting Adrien. Marinette was going to be so disappointed when she found out.

Nino pulled the Bluetooth piece out of his ear. “He was talking to me though this. He was in the bushes across from where I met Marinette.” Alya could see he was embarrassed by the shade of red he was turning. She shook her head and looked down. “I just got so nervous, I didn’t know how to talk to her and tell her.”

“Nino. You’re not going to believe this, but I was behind the tree where you were meeting Marinette listening to her conversation with you.” She looked up at him, her face had softened into an amused grin. “Can I ask who had the idea for the earpiece?”

“That was Adrien. He knew I was nervous, so he gave it to me to help me,” Nino admitted.

Alya nodded. “Marinette came up with the idea for me to listen. She has trouble saying what she means sometimes and she wanted to make sure she didn’t mess up. But she didn’t listen to any of my suggestions. I love that girl, but sometimes….” She shook her head leaving Nino to draw his own conclusions.

Nino sat down on the ground, his back leaning against the glass of the cage. “It looks like it might be a while before Ladybug and Chat Noir can straighten this out,” he said as he turned slightly to look out the window. Alya sat down next to him.

“Does this mean you don’t like me?” she asked, a teasing smile on her face. 

Nino looked at her and smiled. “Why? Do you like me?” he asked.

Alya turned a bright shade of red. “Are you flirting with me after you told me you were just on a date with my bff?” 

“Maybe,” he smiled at her. “Look, I know Marinette doesn’t like me. I could tell when she started trying to set me up with you.”

“That was YOUR suggestion!” Alya shouted at him. She could feel the heat of her anger rising up. How dare he flirt with her. 

“Sorry, you’re right. You’re just cute when you get angry and it’s very easy to make you angry,” he said with a laugh. “I like that you’re so protective of Marinette. I feel the same about my sunshine child, Adrien.”

“Sunshine child!” she laughed. “I’ve never head a more perfect description of him! He is like sunshine. How is he so happy all the time? I mean, I’m a positive person, but he’s something else.” Alya visibly relaxed against the glass of the cage. 

“You’re a positive person?” Nino snorted. 

“Look, you know me, but you don’t really know me, alright. I’m supportive, I’m nice, except to Chloe, and I want what’s best for my friends.” She crossed her arms in front of her. 

“You’re right. I don’t know you as well as I would like.” Nino looked at her again. “I mean, you’re one of my good friends and I should know you better than I do if I consider you to be a good friend. Right?” he asked. 

“Right,” she said slowly, her eyes narrowed with suspicion. Alya could tell he was getting nervous. He was talking faster and the pitch of his voice was higher than normal. She had to wonder why. 

They sat in silence for a few minutes. “It’s been awhile. Do you think Ladybug and Chat Noir are okay?” Nino asked. Alya turned around to look out the window. Animals were still running wild in the zoo, and she presumed the city. As much as she wanted to be out there, filming Ladybug and livestreaming, she was starting to be thankful Ladybug threw her in the cage. At least she was safe, even if she did have to be with Nino.

“There are lots of animals running loose. I’m sure it’s a lot to deal with. I mean, it’s not like they normally have to deal with lots of animals and civilians and an akuma,” Alya responded. She watched as a lion stalked by the cage. She definitely didn’t want to be out there with something like that on the loose. As she turned back around, she accidently brushed Nino’s hand with her own. “Sorry,” she mumbled as she jerked her hand back from him. She could feel her face turning red. She looked at Nino and his face was a surprising shade of red, too. She looked away quickly and pulled her knees to her chest. 

They sat in silence. Alya looked up at Nino. He was looking down at his hands, playing with the earpiece. She studied his face. He had a great face. She looked at his profile, admiring the color of his eyes, the shape of his nose and way he held his mouth in concentration. She wondered what he was thinking about. All of the sudden, he looked at her. She turned away, knowing she had been caught staring.

“What kind of music do you like?” Nino asked her. 

“Why?” she asked questionably, her eyes narrowed. 

“If you want me to get to know you know you, then I would like to actually know something about you. I like music. I thought you might, too. Plus, we might be stuck in here a while, so we might as well try to make polite conversation.” He looked at her, his eyes never leaving hers. He had a look of determination on his face she hadn’t seen before. She looked away first. His gaze was more intense than she had imagined. Alya blushed slightly.

“Oh. Well, I guess that would be okay,” she paused and drew in a breath. “I don’t really like super popular stuff like Mr. XY. I mean, I like popular music, but I like some artistry, not just a formula that is meant to make people buy albums. I like music that is creative, that shows the person who wrote it actually feels something. Plus, it’s better when you can dance to it,” she looked at Nino and smiled. “What about you?”

Nino had a shocked look on his face. Alya knew she must have said something wrong, but she didn’t know what. He blinked a few times at her before he responded. “I have a mix I made that I really like. Do you want to listen to it? I need opinions and I know you always have lots!” He didn’t wait for her response before he reached for his phone. He unplugged his earphones and pressed play. She knew he was watching her reaction. She closed her eyes and listened to a melody that was slow to build, but had an amazing hook. She started to move her head to the beat. She was lost in the music and before she knew it, the music stopped. She hadn’t realized Nino was still watching her. 

“Wow, Nino! I didn’t know you were so talented! This was great!” Alya looked at him with amazement. She really had no idea he was so talented. 

“I have an audition for a show on KIDZ+ later this week to be on The Challenge. I was hoping to use this in the audition. Do you really think it’s good?” he asked her looking hopeful. 

“Yeah, I do,” she said with a smile. “You’re going to kill it at the audition! Do you have any more mixes? Any we can dance to?” she jumped up. “I’m tired of sitting here! Let’s dance!” Alya was excited to have something to do. She was tired of sitting there, tired of being in this cage. She wanted to be in the middle of the action with Ladybug and Chat Noir. The pent up energy was driving her crazy. 

“Sure!” Nino found another mix on his phone and they started to dance. Alya could tell Nino didn’t know how to dance. He kept making funny faces at her and making silly moves that were meant to be funny. She laughed with him as he tried to do a break dance move, but ended up falling in the panther’s water bowl. Alya tried the same move and they both ended up on the ground laughing at themselves. “You know,” Nino said, “You’re pretty fun when you’re not trying to interrogate people.”

“You have no idea. I’m an amazingly positive and fun person, Nino! I’m the best friend you will ever have!” Alya responded with a smile as she stared up at the ceiling. 

Nino sat up on his elbows and looked down at where she was laying. Alya couldn’t read the look in his eyes. “What? Do I have something on my face? Is it panther poop?” Alya panicked, her eyes going wide. “Ew! Get it off!” She started to touch her face randomly trying to dislodge any substance from the panther cage that might be on her.

Nino gently took her hands away from her face and said, “You don’t have anything on your face, Alya. I was just… never mind.” Nino looked away blushing slightly.

“You know you can tell me anything, right? I mean, we’re friends, so I’m here if you need anything.” She sat up and looked at him. 

“I don’t think Marinette and I are going to work out.” Nino said. “I don’t think I really liked her as much as I thought I did.”

“Well, to tell you the truth, Marinette really likes someone. I can’t tell you who, but I don’t think you’re going to get a second date. Sorry,” Alya responded. “Why don’t you think you liked her as much as you thought you did?”

He looked into her eyes and said seriously, “I think I might like someone else.” 

She smiled slightly, but didn’t break eye contact with him. “Really? I think I might like someone, too.”

He shifted towards her, leaning in and whispered, “Alya, can I, do you think…”

“Nino, are you trying to kiss me?” she said quietly as she leaned in slightly.

“Yes. Can I?”

“Yes.” 

She saw Nino close his eyes and she closed hers. Their lips barely touched when Alya felt shivers and tickles all over her body as the miraculous ladybug cure covered her and Nino. She opened her eye to find she was out of the cage and back to her hiding spot behind the tree.

“Alya! Are you okay?” Nino called from the picnic tables.

“Yes, Nino. I’m fine.” She laughed as she climbed out from behind the tree. “That was some kiss,” she said as she walked over to him.

“Uh, yeah! I planned it that way,” Nino claimed with a smile. “Do you maybe want to go get something to eat? I’m starving!”

“Yes. Can we go to Marinette’s bakery? I need to make sure she’s okay. She doesn’t do well when akumas attack.”

“Sure! I’ll buy you a cookie.” Nino responded as he took her hand.

“I’d like that.” Alya said as they walked in the direction of the bakery.

**Author's Note:**

> This is a theory based on what happened in the episode Animan. This is all writing practice, so constructive criticism is always welcome!


End file.
